American Party Politics: Watch the United States Government From Different Sides

The federal government of the United States of America is controlled by a number of distinct political parties with widely differing platforms and agendas. Although the United States political system is generally dominated by the Republican and Democratic parties – essentially rendering America a two-party system – there are numerous other smaller parties that still hold influence in government decisions.

The Democratic Party (DFL) was founded in approximately 1830, and since the 1930’s they have supported a largely social-liberal platform with a focus on mixed economy, social welfare, and human rights. Some of the Democratic Party’s current agendas include universal healthcare, environmental activism, labor protections, social equality laws, and marriage rights.

The Republican Party (GOP) was created by anti-slavery activists in 1854, and the first Republican U.S. President was Abraham Lincoln. Beliefs of the Republican Party are based on American conservationism and protecting traditional American values. Republicans in government push for free market capitalism, reduced government involvement in healthcare and public works, and has historically backed “socially conservative” policies.

The Libertarian Party believes in freedom as a political end and supports free capitalism involving no government involvement. Although Libertarians are a political minority, the party holds a number of government seats. Libertarians summarize that the party is more socially liberal than Democrats, but more fiscally conservative than Republicans.

The Green Party is characterized as a moderately left-wing party emphasizing environmentalism, peace, nonviolent activism, diversity, social justice, and public democratic involvement, and they are harshly critical towards corporate influence in media or government. Although the Green Party does not currently hold any government seats, many Green members hold smaller offices such as mayorships and city council seats.

The Constitution Party is a far-right-wing nationalist party that believes America is a Christian nation founded upon Biblical values. They commonly receive support from Christian Right groups and are recognized as the philosophical home of the Republican Tea Party movement.

Although not considered an official party, the independent movement (not to be confused with the Independent American Party) is an unaffiliated voter or politician sharing an opposition to the country’s domination by the Democratic and Republican parties. Independents vote based on issues and individual candidates rather than by partisanship.

To learn more about American political parties, try checking out the Politics category on Netflix, where you can find political series and documentaries about American government and politicians like John F. Kennedy, Mitt Romney, and Ronald Reagan, as well as a thorough coverage of the groundbreaking 2008 election. Be sure to check out this site for the best VPN to unblock Netflix in your region!